Željne (pronounced [ˈʒɛːlnɛ]; in older sources also Sela,[2] German: Seele[2][3] or Selle[4]) is a village northeast of the town of Kočevje in southern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.[5]

Željne
Željne is located in Slovenia
Željne
Željne
Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 45°39′18.83″N 14°53′24.99″E / 45.6552306°N 14.8902750°E / 45.6552306; 14.8902750
Country Slovenia
Traditional regionLower Carniola
Statistical regionSoutheast Slovenia
MunicipalityKočevje
Area
 • Total
7.42 km2 (2.86 sq mi)
Elevation
467.9 m (1,535.1 ft)
Population
 (2002)
 • Total
498
[1]

Geography

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Željne is a ribbon village on a gently undulating plain along the road from Klinja Vas to Kočevje Rog. Kobl Hill stands south of the village. The soil is loamy and fertile. Željne Caves (Željnske jame) are located south of the village, from which Zeljne Creek (Želijnske potok) flows east. In the past, the caves were used as shelter during Ottoman incursions.[6]

Name

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Željne was attested in written sources in 1763–87 as Sella. The name is ultimately derived from Slovene *Sela (literally 'villages', referring to multiple hamlets in the settlement). This name was borrowed into Gottschee German as Seele, and the modern Slovene name Željne was then re-borrowed from the German dative plural form in Seelen 'in Željne'.[7]

Church

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Saint Lawrence's Church

The local church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence and belongs to the Parish of Kočevje. It was a 16th-century building, rebuilt after it was damaged by fire in 1888.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
  2. ^ a b Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru, vol. 6: Kranjsko. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 40.
  3. ^ Ferenc, Mitja. 2007. Nekdanji nemški jezikovni otok na kočevskem. Kočevje: Pokrajinski muzej, p. 4.
  4. ^ Special-Orts-Repertorium von Krain. 1885. Vienna: Alfred Hölder, p. 9.
  5. ^ Kočevje municipal site
  6. ^ Savnik, Roman (1971). Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 2. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije. pp. 248–249.
  7. ^ Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 488.
  8. ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage reference number ešd 1891
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